Mobile Takes Powerful Seat at the Table, Drives Industry-Wide
Disruption – from the Death of IVR to the Rise of Windows 8

January 10, 2013 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In 2013, analysts are forecasting 1.2 billion smartphones and tablets
will be sold worldwide, up from 821 million in 2012. The repercussions
will have a widespread impact well beyond the mobile industry, changing
everything from retail to medicine to manufacturing. Mutual
Mobile today shared 10 predictions for how the mobile landscape will
change in the coming year.

“Mobile has evolved from being a test project in the marketing
department to become a driving force in a new system of engagement with
customers, partners and employees”

“Mobile has evolved from being a test project in the marketing
department to become a driving force in a new system of engagement with
customers, partners and employees,” said John Arrow, CEO of Mutual
Mobile. “In 2013, mobile will continue its meteoric rise, moving beyond
the confines of a handheld device to impact everything in its path.”

In 2013, the rise of mobile will mean:

Responsive Web will become the de-facto standard – Companies
will acknowledge that the process of creating and maintaining separate
mobile and Web experiences is costly and inconsistent. By the end of
the year, 100 percent of the top 25 most visited websites will be
fully responsive, offering a scalable approach that creates an optimal
experience on every front.

Apple embraces a universal OS – Apple’s announcement that iOS
and OS X will be unified under a single leader is yet another sign the
company intends to create a single, universal operating system across
all of its devices -- an important step towards ensuring a consistent
user experience across platforms, while increasing revenue
opportunities.

Consumer electronics industry will experience significant decline
– As tablets continue to add functionality, they will render consumer
electronics increasingly obsolete. Point and shoot cameras, GPS
systems and video recorders are just the start. New battle lines have
been drawn and hardware manufacturers will have to start thinking in
terms of software, or become irrelevant. Escort
is a leading innovator in this space.

IVR will fade into obscurity – Companies will completely
rethink customer support, leading to the demise of Interactive Voice
Response (IVR). Instead, consumers will turn to mobile apps to inquire
about products and services, ultimately making call centers
irrelevant. Insurance companies already allow you to submit claims
directly from your smartphone. Others will quickly follow suit.

Windows 8 will take a 10 percent share of the tablet market –
Companies that have been reluctant to invest in mobile will shift
their thinking now that they can integrate Windows 8 tablets directly
into their technology stack. While Microsoft may have its doubters,
the company has always been able to catch up quickly.

Mobile will kill direct mail – The U.S. Postal Service is older
than the United States, but by 2020 it is likely to be a thing of the
past. Email is not only cheaper, but also more efficient, and now that
it can be accessed from mobile devices – anywhere, anytime – the end
is near for direct mail and the infrastructure that supports it.

Voice search willmake its move – Apple will enter the
search engine business, using Siri to provide a voice-centric, highly
UI-based search experience. Companies will then leverage this
functionality to extend powerful new features to their end-users.

Only the strong survive – Massive consolidation in the app
development space will mean fewer, but more impactful players
delivering strategic business solutions. Clients will transition from
one-off transactional relationships to long-term partnerships focused
on building the lifetime value of their business.

Android’s days as the lesser OS are over – Thanks to Ice Cream
Sandwich and Jelly Bean, Android is capturing users at a rate of 1.3
million activations every day with a newly improved UI that is more
user-centric, tactile and cognitive, and tears down the walls between
applications. Keep an eye on these adoption figures as Android sets
its sights on iOS.

Chief Mobile Officer takes a seat at the table – As companies
increasingly embrace mobile as a strategic initiative for the company,
the role of Chief Mobile Officer (and new Center of Mobile Excellence)
will become the key to organizational success, bridging the gap
between sales, marketing, customer support and IT.

For years, mobile innovation has focused primarily on the consumer.
However, moving into 2013 there are tremendous opportunities for
companies to design an enterprise mobile strategy that aligns user
needs, business goals and evolving technologies. Mutual Mobile’s deep
industry expertise helps organizations increase adoption and engagement,
and generate real ROI from mobile investments. For more information,
visit the Mutual
Mobile Strategy Hub.

About Mutual Mobile

Mutual Mobile creates rich user experiences that reinvent how businesses
engage the world through mobile. Combining deep design, development and
domain expertise, Mutual Mobile’s custom software solutions allow
clients to connect people, processes and data, from the back office to
the point of sale, and everywhere in between. Mutual Mobile works with
the world’s leading brands – including Audi, Cisco, Google and Philips –
to uncover new revenue opportunities and increase the lifetime value of
mobile through continuous innovation and measurement. Named one of
America’s Most Promising companies by Forbes, Mutual Mobile is
based in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit: http://www.mutualmobile.com.